Windows 7: Users Folder displays double "Downloads" Folder.

Hello guys,

I have a rather strange problem. Lately I've been seing that I have a double refference of my "Downloads" folder in my user folder. You can see that effect on my attached picture:

They appear double though and lead to the same location (when right clicking and going to the position tab). When you open them of course they are one and the same. When you delete them... well... they both are deleted! (carefull there). I even tried to reallocate one of them and erase the other, but they both are moved. It looks as if one is the ghost of the other!



It's not a big problem of course but It pisses me off! Isn't there a way to make the downloads folder link single again? I guess I should look somewhere in the registry but don't know where to look. Any help would be hot.

Hello Escozul, and welcome to Seven Forums.

When you right click on each "Downloads" folder and click on Properties, do they both have a Location tab?

If not, then delete the folder that doesn't.

In addition, double check using OPTION TWO in the tutorial below for the Downloads folder to make sure everything is set properly for the folder.

User Folders - Restore Default Location

Hope this helps,
Shawn

When I right click on both folders there is a location tab and even if I try to change the location for one of them, it changes on the other as well.

However it seems that I've found the issue!

In the following picture I can see that there are 2 refferences for the Downloads folder in the


Now the question is, which one do I delete?

I'd be inclined to try them one at a time.

Backup the registry key in question, and then delete it.

Restart your computer then check to see how many download folders you've got.

If everything is OK you're good to go. If not, restore the deleted registry key then backup and delete the other one.

I can only imagine it has occurred because you may have saved a previous download to a location other than the default downloads folder and I imagine what you're seeing is a junction point in action. The key wording is yours: "They appear double though and lead to the same location".

The other option would be a sytem restore to a point before the problem occurred.

You might find this software of use: http://www.getfoldersize.com/en_getfoldersize.htm

I guess I'll go and do that. I believe that erasing any of them won't make any difference! I will always be wondering "Did I erase the right one?". That's why I wanted opinions.

anyway trying to erase the first one now...

hehe, Got it!
Thanks everybody for the help. So what I did was this:

If you see on the second screenshot there is no "Links" folder in the user Shell folders of the registry. However I have a links folder when I open my folders. That is because the links folder still exists inside the c:\users directory and the desktop.ini in that folder is the one from the orginal "links" folder from the windows installation. So I never noticed that it doesn't have a "location" tab in properties. Anyway I made a search for the description of the second downloads folders (used the name of the value, that "bfb9..." in the two { marks) and found that it was always referenced as a "links" folder. The other one though was reffered to as Downloads folder in several parts in the registry. So I changed the value of the second value to point to the Links folder. Rebooted and voilas! The Links folder now has a "location" Tab and the second "Downloads" folder is gone.

Very happy with that solution too. It seems that no erasing needs to be made and all work fine. Thanx for all the help.

That's great news Escozul. I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted. Thank you for posting back with your results and solution.

Nice work escozul.

Thanks for the update, it's appreciated.